Quick and wholesome lunch at work

Are you ordering lunch to work yet another day in a row? Or maybe this time it’s just cookies and soda? It is not easy to find time to prepare meals in advance… unless you know the recipes for a simple and wholesome lunch! 

The New Year is coming up soon, which is a perfect time for some changes of our routines. If you associate a wholesome, balanced lunch with plenty of hours spent in the kitchen, it is time to change that belief! Do you know that you can prepare it the previous day in no more than 15 minutes?

Tasty and nutritious meals are crucial. They affect our mood, the level of energy necessary to stay active and our brain functioning (which is extremely significant when performing demanding tasks). Besides all this, our favorite tastes can cheer us up! 

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Start from the basics

How to compose a meal so as not to spend half a day cooking? 

First of all, chose the base. It would be best if you choose something tested and delicious. All kinds of rice, groats and noodles are perfect for that. They are sumptuous and you can make them “in the meantime”. They are also easily reheated in a microwave.

Do you prefer cold meals? Sandwiches and salads will be great then. At the end of the article you will find a recipe for our favorite combinations. 

Select additives

Quick, simple and tasty? Traditional seared chicken with herbs.  Tofu –for vegetarians and vegans. How to make it? Dice it up, pickle for a night in a soy sauce and spices and then fry it. If you like a soft, smoked flavor, prepare smoked tofu instead of the classic type.

You can add any vegetables that you have close at hand. Mushrooms, champignons, zucchini, onion or maybe a seasonal carrot? Use what you have in the fridge. Maye you can find new and unordinary blends of flavors?

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Fresh vegetables! 

Do you know that 50% of your plate should consist of fresh vegetables? Pick your favorite ones. Arugula, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, chives, radishes… On top of that some olive- and mustard-based dressing and the salad is ready! Put it into a separate box or… create a distinct dish out of it. It is enough if you add some cooked lentils or beans with crunchy toasts.

Now that you are familiar with the basics and you know how to mix products, it is time for the nitty-gritty! Three recipes for nutritious and tasty dishes made in less than 20 minutes. 

Recipe 1 – noodles with tomato sauce 

The simplest dish on Earth. You will make the sauce when noodles are boiling. Make two servings as you will eat one right away! 

Cook spaghetti or fusilli noodles until they are al dente. Blend in a tall vessel:

• a can of tomatoes,
• 1 tea spoon of olive,
• 2 cloves of garlic,
• 1 tea spoon of soy sauce. 

For a meat version:

Fry the diced chicken up together with the onion on a pan. Add tomato sauce when it is fried. Season it with salt, pepper, herbs. Cook it for a while until the tomato sauce thickens. It tastes good with fior di latte.  

For a vegan version: 

Pour the tomato sauce into a pot, add a half of a glass of water, and throw 1/4 of a glass of red lentils. Cook it for around 8–10 minutes. Add the noodles and mix it.  

Recipe 2 – rice with vegetables

Cook rice in stock. Fry up the chicken or tofu on a separate pan and add frozen Chinese vegetable mix. If you do not have it, you can perfectly replace it with thinly sliced carrot, onion and red pepper. Add squeezed garlic, a pinch of ginger, a half of a tea spoon of sugar and some spices: curry, pepper, salt. 

Recipe 3 – sandwiches of the masters 

Sandwiches do not to be boring! And definitely they can be nutritious and sumptuous. What can you add to them? Become familiar with the best combinations:

• avocado, red onion, raspberry tomato, fried egg, arugula, mayonnaise
• grilled chicken breast, mustard dressing, lettuce, pickled cucumber, green onion, 
• curd cheese, smoked salmon, red onion, cucumber, arugula

As you see, cooking can be fun! So how about coming to the office every day with a box of self-prepared food? Or at least three times a week?

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